וִירִיחוֹ סֹגֶרֶת וּמְסֻגֶּרֶת מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין יוֹצֵא וְאֵין בָּא׃   6:1

Josh. 6:1   Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel; no one came out and no one went in.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ רְאֵה נָתַתִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶת־יְרִיחוֹ וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ גִּבּוֹרֵי הֶחָיִל׃   6:2

Josh. 6:2   And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, and its king, mighty men of valor.”

וְסַבֹּתֶם אֶת־הָעִיר כֹּל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַקֵּיף אֶת־הָעִיר פַּעַם אֶחָת כֹּה תַעֲשֶׂה שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים׃   6:3

Josh. 6:3   “So you shall circle the city, all the men of battle, going around the city once.  You shall do thus six days.”

וְשִׁבְעָה כֹהֲנִים יִשְׂאוּ שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תָּסֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר    6:4

שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וְהַכֹּהֲנִים יִתְקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת׃

Josh. 6:4   “And seven priests shall lift up seven ram's horns before the ark.  And on the seventh day you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall blow on the horns.”

וְהָיָה בִּמְשֹׁךְ בְּקֶרֶן הַיּוֹבֵל כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם אֶת־קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר יָרִיעוּ כָל־הָעָם תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וְנָפְלָה חוֹמַת    6:5

הָעִיר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְעָלוּ הָעָם אִישׁ נֶגְדּוֹ׃

Josh. 6:5   “And there shall be a long sound on the ram's horn; on your hearing the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall beneath it, and the people shall go up, every man over his own part.”

וַיִּקְרָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם שְׂאוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית וְשִׁבְעָה כֹהֲנִים יִשְׂאוּ   6:6

שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת יוֹבְלִים לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה׃

Josh. 6:6   And Joshua son of Nun called to the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and seven priests shall carry seven ram's horns before the ark of the Lord.”

ויאמרו אֶל־הָעָם עִבְרוּ וְסֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר וְהֶחָלוּץ יַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה׃   6:7

Josh. 6:7   And they said to the people, “Pass on and circle the city, and the armed body shall pass before the ark of the Lord.”

וַיְהִי כֶּאֱמֹר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־הָעָם וְשִׁבְעָה הַכֹּהֲנִים נֹשְׂאִים שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה   6:8

עָבְרוּ וְתָקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהוָה הֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם׃

Josh. 6:8   And it was like Joshua had said to the people; so the seven priests lifting up seven ram's horns before the Lord passed and blew on the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed after them.

וְהֶחָלוּץ הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים תקעו הַשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וְהַמְאַסֵּף הֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֵי הָאָרוֹן הָלוֹךְ וְתָקוֹעַ בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת׃    6:9

Josh. 6:9   And the armed body went before the priests blew the horns and the assembly followed after the ark leading, and they were blowing on the horns.

What a scene that must have been!  Hundreds of thousands of men were involved in this event.  Probably only the women, the young and the old were excluded from this march.  If they went ten abreast and walked four feet behind one another in line, the procession would have stretched somewhere between thirty and forty miles long.  Either we have another miracle here or the men marched very fast.

וְאֶת־הָעָם צִוָּה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר לֹא תָרִיעוּ וְלֹא־תַשְׁמִיעוּ אֶת־קוֹלְכֶם וְלֹא־יֵצֵא מִפִּיכֶם דָּבָר עַד   6:10

יוֹם אָמְרִי אֲלֵיכֶם הָרִיעוּ וַהֲרִיעֹתֶם׃

Josh. 6:10   And Joshua commanded the people saying, “You shall not shout and shall not let your voices be heard and from your mouths shall not come forth a word until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

וַיַּסֵּב אֲרוֹן־יְהוָה אֶת־הָעִיר הַקֵּף פַּעַם אֶחָת וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּלִינוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה׃   6:11

Josh. 6:11   So the ark of the Lord circled the city, going around one time, and they came in the camp and stayed overnight in the camp.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּשְׂאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת־אֲרוֹן יְהוָה׃   6:12

Josh. 6:12   And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord,

וְשִׁבְעָה הַכֹּהֲנִים נֹשְׂאִים שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיֹּבְלִים לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה הֹלְכִים הָלוֹךְ וְתָקְעוּ  בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת   6:13

וְהֶחָלוּץ הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם וְהַמְאַסֵּף הֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֵי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה הוֹלֵךְ וְתָקוֹעַ בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת׃

Josh. 6:13   and the seven priests lifting up the seven ram's horns before the ark of the Lord going forward, and they blew on the horns, and the armed body went before them, and the assembly followed after the ark of the Lord was going, and they were blowing on the horns.

וַיָּסֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי פַּעַם אַחַת וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּחֲנֶה כֹּה עָשׂוּ שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים׃   6:14

Josh. 6:14   And they circled the city on the second day once, then returned to the camp.  So they did six days.

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ כַּעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר וַיָּסֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר כַּמִּשְׁפָּט הַזֶּה שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים רַק   6:15

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא סָבְבוּ אֶת־הָעִיר שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים׃

Josh. 6:15   And it was on the seventh day that they rose early at the rising of the light and they circled the city in the same manner of the seven times, only on that day they circled the city seven times.

That’s a distance of more than 200 miles!  Truly a miracle to match or surpass the rest of the miracles of that day!

וַיְהִי בַּפַּעַם הַשְּׁבִיעִית תָּקְעוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּשּׁוֹפָרוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־הָעָם הָרִיעוּ כִּי־נָתַן יְהוָה   6:16

לָכֶם אֶת־הָעִיר׃

Josh. 6:16   And it was on the seventh time the priests blew on the horns and Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given the city to you!”

וְהָיְתָה הָעִיר חֵרֶם הִיא וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ לַיהוָה רַק רָחָב הַזּוֹנָה תִּחְיֶה הִיא וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר אִתָּהּ    6:17

בַּבַּיִת כִּי הֶחְבְּאַתָה אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁלָחְנוּ׃

Josh. 6:17   “And the city shall be devoted to the Lord, it and all that is in it.  Only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she kept hidden the messengers that we sent.”

Has anyone caught the logical error here?  How would the house of Rahab, which was on the wall, remain unscathed once the walls fell?  Can anyone explain that?  Another miracle?  Maybe.

וְרַק־אַתֶּם שִׁמְרוּ מִן־הַחֵרֶם פֶּן־תַּחֲרִימוּ וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִן־הַחֵרֶם וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת־מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחֵרֶם   6:18

וַעֲכַרְתֶּם אוֹתוֹ׃

Josh. 6:18   “And you surely keep from the devoted thing, lest you would become accursed and take from the devoted thing, and set the company of Israel to be accursed so you would afflict it.”

וְכֹל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּכְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל קֹדֶשׁ הוּא לַיהוָה אוֹצַר יְהוָה יָבוֹא׃   6:19

Josh. 6:19   “So the whole of the silver and gold and the vessels of brass and iron, it is holy to the Lord.  They shall go in the treasury of the Lord.”

וַיָּרַע הָעָם וַיִּתְקְעוּ בַּשֹּׁפָרוֹת וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ הָעָם אֶת־קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר וַיָּרִיעוּ הָעָם תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה   6:20

וַתִּפֹּל הַחוֹמָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ וַיַּעַל הָעָם הָעִירָה אִישׁ נֶגְדּוֹ וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת־הָעִיר׃

Josh. 6:20   And the people shouted, and they blew the trumpets.  And it happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people that made a joyful noise, a great shout, and the wall fell flat, and the people went up to the city, each man over his own part, and they took the city.

וַיַּחֲרִימוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר מֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה מִנַּעַר וְעַד־זָקֵן וְעַד שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה וַחֲמוֹר לְפִי־חָרֶב׃    6:21

Josh. 6:21   And they destroyed all that was in the city, of man and woman, of young and old, and of ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword.

וְלִשְׁנַיִם הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְרַגְּלִים אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֹּאוּ בֵּית־הָאִשָּׁה הַזּוֹנָה וְהוֹצִיאוּ מִשָּׁם   6:22

אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתֶּם לָהּ׃

Josh. 6:22   And Joshua said to the two men who spied out the land, “Go in the house of the woman harlot and bring forth the woman and all that is hers as you swore to her.”

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַנְּעָרִים הַמְרַגְּלִים וַיֹּצִיאוּ אֶת־רָחָב וְאֶת־אָבִיהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּהּ וְאֶת־אַחֶיהָ   6:23

וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֶיהָ הוֹצִיאוּ וַיַּנִּיחוּם מִחוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Josh. 6:23   And the young men who had been spies went in and brought forth Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that was hers; and they brought out all her kindred and set them outside of the camp of Israel.

וְהָעִיר שָׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ רַק הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב וּכְלֵי הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְהַבַּרְזֶל נָתְנוּ אוֹצַר בֵּית־יְהוָה׃   6:24

Josh. 6:24   And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it; only they gave the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron to the treasure house of the Lord.

וְאֶת־רָחָב הַזּוֹנָה וְאֶת־בֵּית אָבִיהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ הֶחֱיָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד   6:25

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי הֶחְבִּיאָה אֶת־הַמַּלְאָכִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְרַגֵּל אֶת־יְרִיחוֹ׃

Josh. 6:25   And Rahab, the harlot, and the house of her father and all that was hers Joshua saved alive, and she has been dwelling in the midst of Israel until this day, because she kept hidden the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

The phrase “until this day” is repeated here, but in this verse we are given a possible clue as to the elapsed time from the events described until the writing of this book.  It appears that at most the remaining lifetime of Rahab had transpired.  My guess is that the time would be at most sixty years or so.               [Return to Josh. 9:27]

וַיַּשְׁבַּע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר אָרוּר הָאִישׁ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר יָקוּם וּבָנָה אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת    6:26

אֶת־יְרִיחוֹ בִּבְכֹרוֹ יְיַסְּדֶנָּה וּבִצְעִירוֹ יַצִּיב דְּלָתֶיהָ׃

Josh. 6:26   And Joshua took an oath at that time saying, “Cursed shall be the man before the Lord who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; with his first born shall he lay its foundation and with his youngest shall he set up its gates.”

The implication here is that the man who rebuilds Jericho and his sons will be destroyed for their efforts.  At least his oldest and youngest will die.                                              [Return to 1Kin. 16:34]

וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיְהִי שָׁמְעוֹ בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ׃   6:27

Josh. 6:27   And the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was in all the land.

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